The present invention relates to a method and device for entering alphanumeric characters using a push button telephone, and more particularly, to a method and device for effectively registering alphanumeric information into a system capable of entering alphanumeric characters.
Many conventional information searching systems that provide voice information to system users provide no means for entering alphanumeric characters into the system through the telephone. These conventional systems often facilitate entry of information by utilizing menu-driven algorithms in which a user enters alphanumeric data by stroking a numeric key corresponding to a desired menu function. To overcome the burden and expense of providing such elaborate systems, methods for entering and registering alphanumeric characters by utilizing the buttons of a telephone have been developed. Some of these methods have been applied to various types of electronic products.
"Panasonic" Model KX-F230 facsimile unit is one such product. The unit provides a keypad having alphanumeric entry keys, and additionally enables a user to register a logo, the telephone number of a called party, and the number of pages in a document being transmitted to the called party. The alphanumeric key input method disclosed in this product is slightly modified from a conventional multiple depression method for entering alphanumeric characters in a button-type telephone. The multiple depression method requires a user to press a telephone button either one, two or three times in order to enter a desired alphabetic character. The number of button depressions depends upon the relative position of the desired symbol among the three alphabetic characters corresponding to the particular numeric button.
By way of example, for entry of the capital letter `A`, the numeric button `2` must be pressed once, and for entry of the capital letter `B`, the numeric button `2` must be pressed two times in continuous succession. To enter the capital letter `C`, the numeric button `2` must be pressed three times in continuous succession.
With a currently available device, such as the "Panasonic" Model KX-F230 facsimile unit, in order to enter the capital letter `A`, the numeric button `2` and the `*` button must be pressed in continuous succession. To enter the arabic numeral `2`, the numeric button `2` must be pressed seven times in continuous succession, followed by the `*` button being pressed once. The `*` key indicates completion of an entry after a corresponding button has been pressed a desired number of times. Taking numeric button `2` as an example, a symbol to be entered is selected in the order of `A`, `B`, `C`, `a`, `b`, `c`, `2`. Each time numeric button `2` is pressed, the next symbol in the above sequence is activated. In order to enter one of the alphabetic capital letters `A`, `B`, `C`, . . . , numeric button `2` must be pressed from one to three times in continuous succession, to enter one of the alphabetic small letters `a`,`b`,`c`, . . . , numeric button `2` must be pressed from four to six times in continuous succession, and to enter the arabic numeral 2, the numeric button `2` must be pressed seven times in continuous succession. We have observed that this method is inconvenient since it requires a multitude of button depressions in order to enter alphanumeric characters.
One attempt to solve this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,315 entitled Comprehensive Computer Data And Control Entries From Very Few Keys Operable In A Fast Touch Typing Mode issued to Lapeyre. In this effort, a user can enter commonly used characters, such as vowels A, E, I, O and U with only two key strokes. We note, however, that this reference does not allow the user to register lower case letters. Accordingly, we believe that conventional art, such as Lapeyre '315, has limited application.
An earlier attempt at achieving alphanumeric entry through a minimum number of key depressions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,266 entitled Communication Apparatus For The Handicapped issued to Messina. In this device, a user is able to enter an alphanumeric character by first, depressing a button on which the desired character appears, and then depressing a second button to specify which character on the button is to be selected. Although this reference enables a user to enter a desired character with only two button depressions, we have found that it also has the disadvantage of not allowing the user to designate whether an alphabetic character should be in an upper or lower case.